


lullaby of the ocean

by kagehiraa



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, How Do I Tag, I don't know what I wrote, M/M, Undead, and koga and adonis, gay revelations, i guess, kanata is a siren, kaoru thought he was straight but boy was he very wrong, marine bio club, mentions of souma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 22:38:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8227117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kagehiraa/pseuds/kagehiraa
Summary: “the only human who could survive a siren’s song to tell the tale is their true love.”in which kanata is a siren and i suck at summaries.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing since 2012 so i'd like to apologise in advance if the grammar is really bad or for the countless flaws in this fic because i dropped english last year and i lowkey (highkey?) forgot how to write. probably.
> 
>  
> 
> also, the myth about the sirens. i think i made up like 80% of the stuff about the myth. honestly, all i know is that sirens lure men into the ocean and kill them. which is very little and dammit i need to step my game up.
> 
>  
> 
> anyways, enjoy!

Kaoru Hakaze, despite his extremely flirtatious nature and the tendency to compliment girls to get his way with them, was a man of his words.

 

Some people would find this hard to believe, since a flirtatious man would do anything to flirt with a girl, including breaking promises and such.

 

But despite all of this, Kaoru Hakaze, a ladies’ man, is a man of his words.

 

And that specific trait, is what brought him here, at the beach, at three in the morning.

 

“Where’s Souma-kun?”

 

“Ah. About that, unfortunately he can’t be here right now. He said something about trouble with siblings and getting grounded…?” Kanata answered, voice clear as if they aren’t at a beach at three in the morning, when everyone else is probably tucked in their bed and asleep.

 

“Oh. I see.”

 

Silence.

 

“Why’d you made me promise you to come to the beach at three in the morning, again?”

 

“Does Kaoru not hear them?” Kanata took another step further from Kaoru, strolling on the seaside and lolling his head upwards, facing the full moon.

 

The soothing sound of waves crashing against each other repeatedly played in the background, as his barely awake mind is trying to process what Kanata meant. But then again, Kanata’s always in his own world, fascinated at the weirdest of things, so maybe he didn’t mean anything by that.

 

However, he’s dragged into the beach at such ungodly hour, so what better to do than to entertain his blue-haired friend’s imaginations?

 

“Hear what, Kanata-kun?”

 

“Them. Singing.”

 

He must’ve meant the waves.

 

“Yeah. They sound so… soothing. I always wanted to hear them without any other noises, when it’s totally silent. Thank you for bringing me here.”

 

He knew that something was off with his perception, when Kanata stopped in his tracks, turned to him, and ran to him like he just found a long lost friend, with a glow in his eyes that made him look more radiant than the bright full moon floating above the crescents of the ocean waves.

 

“Kaoru can hear them too?” It must have been something inside Kanata’s little word.

 

Kaoru almost didn’t want to say it, wants to entertain Kanata’s thoughts and keep the gleam in his eyes, because he, throughout his time befriending the blue-haired man, had never seen him this excited before.

 

But despite all of this, someone’s going to have to coax him out of his little own world, right?

 

“The waves, right?”

 

Kanata immediately deflates, bringing himself closer to Kaoru and leans his head to his shoulder before letting a tired sigh.

 

“Kaoru shouldn’t have let my hopes up,” Kanata muffled against the soft cotton of Kaoru’s shirt.

 

The blonde puts a comforting hand on Kanata’s head, patting him.

 

“Sorry. Though I sometimes wish I can see things from your eyes. The world must look fascinating.”

 

“It is fascinating. But not as fascinating as the ocean.”

 

Kanata lifts his head, face back to his normal expression.

 

“Kaoru should go home. It’s very late. It would be bad if he falls asleep in class tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah. Want to walk home together?” Since it’s late and all, it definitely has nothing to do with Kaoru wanting to try to make Kanata _glow_ like he did before. “Come to think of it, I’ve never been to your house.”

 

“But you come here plenty of times.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“This is my home, Kaoru, you don’t need to walk me anywhere.”

 

 “Kanata-kun, you know what I mean.” Kaoru sighed.

 

“My other home is nearby here, so no need for Kaoru to walk me there. Besides, I want to stay here for a bit longer.”

 

“Ah, okay, see you in school tomorrow Kanata-kun. And thank you, for inviting me out today.”

 

“No worries.”

 

Kaoru walked towards the direction of his house, a couple hundred metres worth of walking away. To be honest, he didn’t mind coming out at this hour. The wind was pleasant, not too strong and yet still slightly chilly, not to mention that he gets to hear the sound of the waves, which sounds so much better than he thought in the silence of the night compared to how it sounds when there are people around, or girls clinging onto him.

 

Trudging down the street, he fumbled his pocket to fish out his phone, only to realise that the weight, that is supposed to be his phone, is gone. Panic washed through him for a while before he composed himself and came to a conclusion that he probably dropped it at the beach.

 

_Guess I won’t be coming back home tonight then. I wonder if Kanata-kun will let me crash in his place…_

When the beach is visible to him, he expected Kanata to still be there.

 

The thing is, he is still there, light blue hair stark with the darker shade of the ocean waters, but there is something else that made Kaoru stop dead in his tracks.

 

Alongside the sound of the waves, he can hear a singing voice. _Not Kanata_ , Kaoru thought, _he didn’t sound like this when he performed with his unit_.

 

The voice, was something Kaoru can only describe as ethereal. It’s the sound you would expect a professional opera singer in the western countries to sing out. Scratch that, it’s the sound that you would imagine coming straight out of a fairy tale, out of a _legend_. It sounds so beautiful, he almost thought for a while he snapped into a momentary fictional world. How can something sound this beautiful? It transcends things that are earthly.

 

_Am I dreaming?_

_I didn’t know I have sleepwalking tendencies._

Kaoru felt lightheaded and he blinked.

 

Next thing he know was that he’s neck deep inside the waters, and that the voice stopped. He can pick up distinctly that someone was calling his name, but before he could react, a loud splash of wave cracked through the silence of the night as he was forced deep into the waters by a huge wave, salt water filling his lungs as everything around him fades to black.

 

***

 

He hears a voice. A singing voice, to be exact. The voice sounded so familiar, but he couldn’t bring himself to recognise the owner of the voice.

 

He can feel his feet slowly walking towards the source of the voice, against his will. His movements are akin to robotic, as if he was a robot controlled by a signal – the voice. Something about the voice fascinates him so much. If a person can belong to a home, then Kaoru feels like he belonged to this voice.

 

As he gets closer, his vision started to blur, all he could catch was a glimpse of turquoise hair getting all mussed up in the wind, and bright green eyes twinkling like it belonged in the skies instead of here on Earth. He wants to call out to the owner of those hauntingly familiar green eyes, wants to get closer to the voice, but the control he had over his limb is gone, as he sauntered towards the cold ocean waters like he belonged in there.

 

The cold waters completely enveloped his body now, but somehow he felt warm, like what a loving embrace would probably feel like.

 

Then abruptly, the voice stopped singing. Every nerve in his body became more aware, the warm feeling gone, replaced with the freezing cold waters of the ocean. He could vaguely hear someone calling his name, but before he can turn, a huge wave of water hit him as he was completely submerged in the bitingly cold sea water.

 

_-ru_

 

His vision starts to fail him, seawater flowed into his lungs as he fought his way to the surface of the waters for air.

 

With the ounce of energy he has left, he kicked himself against the deep waters and aimed for the surface. But he was only human-

 

_Kaoru_

 

-and the surface felt so far away. So he let go, feeling more water rush into his lungs as he sunk deeper and-

 

“Kaoru-kun!”

 

He opened his eyes, only to be met by piercingly bright light. Clutching his eyes, he closed his eyes and cursed.

 

“Shit!”

 

“We’re going to be late, Kaoru”

 

“Huh?”

 

Kaoru looked up, finding himself in a bedroom. He fumbles with the sheets around him, and sat up, only to be met by the one and only Kanata Shinkai.

 

“It’s Monday, remember? We have school today, Kaoru.”

 

“Where am I?”

 

“Did Kaoru forgot what happened last night?”

 

Kaoru blushed. _Why did he blush?_

“Uh…”

 

“Kaoru went back to the beach last night and said it was too late for him to come home, so I offered him to stay at my house instead.”

 

“Ah yes, that.”

 

“And today’s Tuesday, precisely at 7:37 am, which means we need to get to school in three minutes or we’re going to be late.”

 

“Shit,” Kaoru cursed for the second time in the day. What the hell, he’s only been awake for barely five minutes and he already cursed _twice_.

 

“Ah… I suppose I’ll head down first.” Kanata opens the door to his bedroom. “Kaoru should be able to get ready in five minutes, ne? I’ll be downstairs with breakfast.”

 

“Five should be enough. Thank you, Kanata-kun.”

 

“No worries,” Kanata replied, shutting the door softly behind him as he can hear the sound of footfalls slowly fading away.

 

If Kaoru was anything, he was good at working under pressure. Reaching out for yesterday’s uniform, he hastily buttons them all up, puts on his blazer, tidies up his hair a bit and headed downstairs to where Kanata is waiting for him. All of this under five minutes, and he’ll be damned if he isn’t proud of himself for this.

 

When he arrives downstairs, Kanata handed him a small zip-lock bag of sandwich, muttering apologies because apparently his parents are currently going on a trip overseas and it’s the only thing Kanata can make.

 

“Thanks,” Kaoru took the bag, and together they walked out and towards the school.

_Something is off_ , Kaoru thought, _but I don’t know where to start._

Before Kaoru completed his long train of thoughts, he was met by the entrance gate of the school, and the shrill ring of the bell indicating that the school day has just started.

 

 _This is going to be a long day_ , Kaoru sighed as he parted ways with Kanata to go to his class.

 

*** 

 

True to his predictions, the day felt longer than usual. Either because of the lack of sleep he had, or that the fact that he could’ve _swore_ he was drowning last night, and why is Kanata acting like he knows nothing.

 

What felt real was the coldness of the seawater as it brings him into a deathly embrace, the piercing cold water filling his lungs. What felt real was the voice he heard last night, the ruffled light blue hair, and the sparkle on a pair of familiar green eyes.

 

What felt unreal was him waking up in the morning, and moreover, what felt fake and hollow was Kanata’s reasoning as if to why Kaoru woke up in his room this morning.

 

As soon as the bell indicating the end of school activities for the day rang, he brought up the courage to confront Kanata about whatever happened last night. He’s been wanting to ask him since lunch time, but one peek into class 3-B is what it took to know that Kanata’s skipping again, and he’s probably in the water fountain or the Marine Bio Club room.

 

Kaoru walked towards the clubroom, ready to shower the president of the club with various questions, only finding himself rooted to the place on the floor where he stands on, feet unable to move anywhere because he hears _that voice_ again.

 

This time, he isn’t walking towards _anywhere_ , he’s just there, frozen, not because he has no control over his limbs, but more like he’s in _shock_.

_Who would’ve thought he would hear that voice again?_

Certainly not Kaoru himself.

 

Willing his feet to move, he softly pushed the door to the Marine Bio Club, careful not to make any sounds as if to not spook away the owner of the voice, who’s probably in the room right now.

Peeking his head in, he sees no one at first, until his eyes drifted away towards the window and sees his blue haired club president singing on the ledge of the window, staring into the vast courtyard of Yumenosaki Academy.

 

Kaoru cleared his throat.

 

“Kanata-kun should sing more often.”

 

Kanata immediately stopped singing, the soft euphonic sound now replaced with silence and thick tension.

 

“Kaoru should save those compliments for his girlfriends.”

 

“What are you talking about? I have no girlfriend.” _Why does he feel the need to justify himself? For the umpteenth time, he’s straight._

Kanata laughed, voice melodic and light and _so_ beautiful, Kaoru was so close to whipping his phone out and record that laugh so it can be preserved forever. And the way his eyes twinkles when he laughs, _damn_.

 

_Okay, maybe not 100% straight, but-_

“Why? I thought Kaoru likes girls?”

 

Kaoru can feel the blood rushing to his face. _Well, he’s not wrong, but-_ _damn it! this is really not the time for you to justify your sexuality_.

 

“Uh…”

 

“So you like boys too?”

 

“No! I like girls but- uh…”

 

“Ah… I see…”

 

Silence. This time a longer one.

 

“Well, I suppose I should get going… Bye, Kaoru.” Kanata bids his farewell as he walked towards the door.

 

“Wait! Kanata-kun, do you mind if I ask you something?”

 

For a distant observer, they would think that Kanata is acting like his normal self, but for someone who’s observing him from close distance, Kaoru couldn’t miss that flicker of anxiousness before it changed back to its usual carefree façade.

 

“What is it, Kaoru?”

 

Kaoru takes a deep breath, “Last night. Did you also happen to sing at the beach? After I went home? Because I left my phone at the beach and when I went back to get it, I heard someone singing and it resembles your voice a lot.”

 

Kanata gave him a look, before sighing, “Yes, I like to occasionally sing to the fishes in the seas. Is there something wrong with that?”

 

“No! No, it’s just that, you’ve got a beautiful voice,” _Okay that’s straying waaaaay too far from the topic._

Kanata blushed.

 

“Kaoru should stop saying those kind of things to people who are not your girlfriend, otherwise they might get confused.”

 

“Ah sorry, I mean- actually, did I happen to take a swim in the ocean last night?” _and almost drowned_ was said too, but mentally.

 

“Kaoru-kun must be imagining things. It’s because he didn’t get enough sleep.” Kanata twists the doorknob, shoulders tense and fingers shaking slightly, “I really need to go.”

 

Kaoru wants to call for him, but his voice betrayed him, left him silent as the answers to his question left the room, and also left him with more questions.

 

For example, _why is Kanata trying so hard to avoid my questions?_

_Did I really drown?_

_Why is it that the blue hair and the green eyes I saw last night reminded me so much of Kanata?_

 

*** 

 

Out of all the places he could be at, he’s stuck here, in the Light Music Club room, staring onto the mess that is his bandmates _practicing_.

 

In UNDEAD, it’s not out of the ordinary when _practicing_ consists of Koga getting tied up and thrown in the closet, Rei sipping on his tomato juice and playing some instruments, usually the violin and piano, and Adonis, who actually does something remotely close to actual practicing. Sometimes the half Japanese would be seen practicing his singings, other times he would be seen struggling over a piece of music sheet, trying to fumble and play the tunes in his head.

 

And Kaoru? What does he usually do?

 

Well, he usually skips practice, so there’s that.

 

It’s a surprise, especially for Kaoru himself, that when it comes to the actual thing, their band can perform well. And when Kaoru means _well_ he means performing so spectacularly, girls would come to see them again and again and scream over their performance kind of _well_.

 

“Kaoru-kun seems distracted.”

 

Rei Sakuma puts down his tall glass of tomato juice, lips curled into a small smile.

 

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

 

“Is it girls again? Are you trying to decide who should you break it off with and who should you keep on in your hook?” Rei gave him a chesire-like grin. Which, honestly, would give him spine chills if it was anyone else who gave him that smile, but it was Rei, so nothing new over there.

 

“No, nothing about girls. And that’s rude of you, Sakuma-san. I might be a big flirt but I would never break it off when I do actually get serious with a gi- someone. Which I’m not, at the moment.” _There he goes again, with his big mouth and insecurities._

“Kukuku… This is an interesting development.”

 

“What is?”

 

“Just now, instead of saying ‘girl’ you switched to ‘someone’ instead.”

 

Kaoru can feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. _His stupid mouth did what?_

“Ah- Uh, I mean girls. Yes, girls. It was just a slip of the tongue.” Thankfully, Kaoru can’t hear his lame attempt of cover-up over the blood pounding in his ears.

 

“Of course.” comes out of Rei’s mouth, but his facial expression tells another story.

 

“Ah, speaking of which, you asked me what’s wrong, right?”

 

Rei picked up his glass, humming before taking another sip of his juice.

 

“Have you seen Kanata-kun? Souma-kun and I were wondering, because we were supposed to have club yesterday, and he didn’t show up.”

 

It has been two days since the _incident_ in the club room, and he hadn’t seen Kanata since then. A part of him felt bad because it seems like somehow he was making Kanata feel uncomfortable with the talk they had, but another part of him is buzzing like a child with sugar overdose, wanting to ask everything and to know the answers to his question.

 

“Ah. Shinkai-kun said he’d be gone, but didn’t specify how long.”

 

“Did he say where he went? Or what is he going to do?” _Now, he sounds like a possessive boyfriend._

 

“Ah, about that,” Rei sighed, “You know how I’m a vampire, right?”

 

“Yes, but what does anything have to do with that?”

 

“Well you see, I thought Ritsu and I were the only supernatural creatures in this school. I wish we were, honestly, because it could be a special thing, between Ritsu and I.” Rei’s face brightens, lips curling up to give a dreamy smile.

 

“But then I met Hibiki-kun, Shinkai-kun and Itsuki-kun, and found out about each other’s true nature. Since then we hung out a lot, since we’re in the same grade, but because of our, ah, _eccentric_ personalities, we got nicknamed as the Oddballs.”

 

The question what does that have to do with anything? is in the edge of his tongue, but was cut off by Rei’s deep voice.

 

“Hibiki-kun is a wizard, Itsuki-kun a witch, and Shinkai-kun a siren.”

 

_Okay, this is new._

 

Kaoru barely has the time to process the first two when it dawned onto him.

 

_-and Shinkai-kun a siren._

 

Oh.

 

_Oh._

 

“Kanata-kun, is a siren?”

 

“Yes, you know, the one that lures men into the ocean and kills them. But Shinkai-kun isn’t like that. He can’t even kill a fly, let alone a man.”

 

At this time, he noticed that the two second years in their band have went home already, and the room was complete silence, save for the sound of Kaoru’s breath and the gears in his brain turning, processing the information he just got.

 

“Unless, of course, during full moons. He only sings at those times; said he misses his home and wanted to sing along with his family, that the only time when he can hear them is during full moon.”

 

“Ah, Sakuma-san. Just out of curiosity, what would happen if someone happen to, say, stumble upon him singing in the full moon?”

 

“If Kanata isn’t aware of his surroundings and kept on singing, then that man is just a dead man walking.”

 

Kaoru inhales sharply, feeling his palms sweat. “So if he stopped singing, then what happens to the man?”

 

“The man will be aware of his surroundings again. Best case scenario, he lives. Worst case, it’s too late when Shinkai-kun stopped singing, and the man is already drowning too deep in the ocean.”

 

“Have you ever heard him?”

 

Rei smiled, “His voice is the most beautiful voice I ever heard in my long life, worthy of being called a siren. If I were to die, I’d want his voice to be the last one I hear.”

 

“Then how are you still alive?”

 

“Kaoru-kun, a siren’s song cannot affect us supernatural beings like it does affect humans.”

 

Kaoru bites the inside of his cheek, hoping the pain would make him realise that _no, this isn’t just another one of his weird dreams he keeps on having for the past two days._

“Why’d you ask, Kaoru-kun?”

 

Kaoru stopped his motions, eyes zeroed in to a very curious Rei Sakuma.

 

“Did you? Hear him sing?”

 

Busted.

 

“I’m not sure?” Rei rose his eyebrow. “Kanata-kun invited me out to the beach at three in the morning, said that he wanted to show me something fascinating. I thought he only wanted me to see how beautiful the beach looks at night, but then things happen, and next thing I know I was drowning, and then I woke up in Kanata’s home. He said I was just making things up and nothing happened but the water in my lungs felt so _real_. So I confronted him about it on Monday and I haven’t see him ever since.”

 

“The only human who could survive a siren’s song to tell the tale is their true love.”

 

If Kaoru has bad hearing, and the room wasn’t completely silent, he’s pretty damn sure he wouldn’t catch _that_.

 

“What?”

 

“Ah, sorry, just something I remembered.” Rei apologised, “Anyways, I should get going now. Don’t fret, Kaoru-kun, full moons only last for three days, so I’m sure Shinkai-kun will be back by tomorrow.”

 

“Thanks, Sakuma-san.”

 

And with that, he’s all alone in the Light Music Club, jaw slacked as he’s been trying to process everything without _overheating_.

 

_Shinkai-kun is a siren_

_You know, the one that lures men into the ocean and kills them._

But the one that got him most was the one said quietly, like a whisper of a soft wind.

_The only human who could survive a siren’s song to tell the tale is their true love._

*** 

 

Kaoru tossed and turned in his bed. He turns his head towards his clock, the numbers 2:42 am glaring at him like it’s judging him for not being asleep at such hour.

 

_Only 5 hours of sleep, then._

 

He closes his eyes, tries picturing things that he loves.

 

Girls, for first. Girls with their melodic laugh, with their beautiful eyes. Girls with green eyes that seemed to shimmer like it belonged in the night sky, with short turquoise blue hair that seemed so soft it made him want to reach out and touch it.

 

Girls that call him by his name and has an angelic voice.

 

Girls that lures him into the ocean, almost drowns him and saves him afterwards.

 

Girls that-

 

Ah, who was he kidding.

He’s undeniably, stupidly in love with Kanata.

 

Kanata, whose eyes are greener than anything he’s ever seen, whose hair looked so fluffy and seemed nice to touch.

 

Kanata, who’s a siren.

 

Eyes drifting to his window, he imagined what would happen if he is actually _not under control_ at that night. Would he approach Kanata? How did Kanata look like? Was he wearing his school uniform, or something else? _A dress perhaps?_

_Kaoru Hakaze, 17 years old, a pervert, and a big homo._

 

And that last status was just recently added, after his gay revelation.

 

_What the hell._

 

Staring out of his window, he tried his best to lull himself into sleep, when his eyes spotted the moon, and immediately remembered what Rei said earlier.

 

_He only sings during the full moon; said he misses his home._

_Full moons only last for three days._

_Three days._ Kaoru counted. _So that makes today- the third day?_

Kaoru never bolted out of bed this fast. Snatching his jacket, he wore it and carefully padded out of his room and his house, careful not to wake anyone up.

 

Jogging towards the direction of the beach, which he memorised like it was the back of his hand, Kaoru hoped that he would get there on time. As he jogged, he can eventually start to smell the familiar scent of the ocean, and the unmistakable voice that belongs to Kanata.

 

He stopped, only a few metres away from where he can see a blob of bright blue hair, starkly contrasting the dark skies at night. The only thing that allows Kaoru to even remotely see anything is the glowing moonlight, and the flickering streetlamp nearby.

 

Kanata is standing in the middle of the beach, wearing a light pink gown-like garment, with an aquamarine cloth that matches his hair layering under it. The moonlight reflects off of him, making him glow and seem more like an unearthly beauty. And that voice, accompanied by the sound of crashing waves- is so beautiful, so empyrean, he could feel his eyes watering.

 

Willing his feet to move, he walked towards Kanata, making sure his steps are as quiet as possible.

 

“Kanata-kun should sing more often.”

 

Kanata then stopped, breath hitching slightly before turning around, facing Kaoru.

 

“Kaoru.” Kanata said softly, eyes widening like a deer caught in the headlight, “what are you doing here?”

 

“I wanted to see you.”

 

Kanata’s eyes went even wider, mouth slack as if he just realised something, “but. How?”

 

“How what?”

 

“How is Kaoru not-”

 

“-walking into the ocean and drowning myself? I have no idea.”

 

Kanata stared at him with rapt fascination, like Kaoru was the siren, not him.

 

“Maybe it was- uh, you know, someone who experienced it becomes immune?” Kaoru tried.

 

“Kaoru is not, like Rei?”

 

“No. I don’t think I’m a vampire. Nor a wizard or a witch.” Kaoru laughs, “Hopefully.”

 

“I thought Kaoru was like us. The reason why I wanted Kaoru to go to the beach last time was so that he can hear what we actually sound like, but I guessed wrong.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Kaoru.”

 

“No.” Kaoru steps in closer to Kanata, faces too close yet too far, breaths mingling together. “Don’t apologise.” He whispered, holding Kanata’s face and leaning his forehead to his.

 

Kanata looked at him, eyes slightly glassy, as his lips curled up to a small smile.

 

He didn’t know who leaned in first, or who initiated it first, but next thing he know is that his lips are clasped around Kanata’s, one hand cupping his cheek and the other one on his back, holding Kanata against him like he was his one and only lifeline.

 

They stayed like that for a while, lips moving deftly against each other and hands moving to seek warmth before they break for air.

 

Kanata looked up to him, eyes wet with tears as he burrowed into the cotton of Kaoru’s shirt.

 

“Kanata-kun,” Kaoru held Kanata closer to his chest, “I love you.”

 

A shaky “I love you too” was muffled into his shirt.

 

They stayed like that for a long while. Somewhere along the way, they broke apart and opted to sit on the sand, watching the sunrise together.

 

 

 

Kanata smelled like the ocean, felt like the ocean, tasted like the ocean.

 

But moreover, Kanata feels like home.

 

And it’s the only thing Kaoru needs.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> a short epilogue:
> 
> “kaoru your shirt is so soft, i like it.”
> 
> kaoru smiled. he sees the chance and he damn well will seize it.
> 
> “kanata-kun, do you know what material is this made of?”
> 
> “cotton?”
> 
> “no.” kaoru grinned. “boyfriend material.”
> 
> no one blamed kanata when he turned around and took off, leaving kaoru in the middle of the beach.


End file.
